The GEO (Galata
Electroacoustic Orchestra) project is inspired by the historical relations
between Genova and Istanbul. It is named by the Genoese quarter Galata in
Istanbul dating back to the 12th century.

The general
objectives of GEO IP is: 1) to found the Galata Electroacoustic Orchestra, a
small group orchestra based on an idea of live collective composition; 2) to
merge of the Western Classical tradition of score-based music and the Improvisational
techniques (in particular of Turkish Maqam Music).

As the dialogue
between the three Countries involved in the IP is an important objective for
GEO, we adopted the sealing map – “portolano” - as a guide metaphor for the
project (when a ship docks, the goods - in our case: the musical products -
from one country are unloaded and goods from another country are loaded).

The activities
are divided in: lectures (20 hours), workshops (28 hours), laboratories (24
hours), an instruction visit (6 hours), concert Rehearsals and a final public
concert (10 hours). The expected learning outcomes are related to the
acquisition of skills and abilities in the following disciplinary areas: theoretic,
ethnomusicological, technological, performing and compositional.

The expected
outputs of the GEO IP project are:

_ a concert by the Galata Electroacustic
Orchestra at the end of the IP;

_ a permanent web
portal website of the HEI coordinator, with audio and video recordings of the
all IP activities (the documentation will be downloadable for free). This
output will represent a didactic permanent heritage.

_ a documentary
DVD on the IP experience with the most important selection of the above (lectures,
workshops and laboratories; recording of final concert and backstage);

_ a booklet
containing the general program of IP, detailed information on the partners,
final report on the educational and artistic outcomes of the project, final
evaluation of the project level and photo gallery.

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The GEO IP
project is inspired by the historical relations between Genova and Istanbul.
Galata Electroacoustic Orchestra is named by the Genoese quarter Galata in
Istanbul dating back to the 12th century where the Tower of Christ is still
preserved. Almost all the aspects of the European Culture have been affected by
the Arabian culture. In addition the European composers of the classical era
(such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven) joined to the orchestra unusual instruments
for that time (bass drum, triangle, cymbals) but typical of the Turkish
military bands, of the Janissaries music. More in general, since the beginning
of the 20th century the extra-European music and the traditional folk music
become a true source of inspiration for Western composers, and more recently
vice versa. Although many studies have been made on the reciprocal influences,
the theory, practice and teaching on the true contact points between such
different musical cultures are nowadays separately carried out among the
different Countries. GEO aims to overcome this deficiency with a
multidisciplinary didactical approach to the specific subject and to his
current potential, thanks to the support by new technologies.

The main aim is
to create a “dialogue” among digital and traditional instruments and
performance practices. Thanks to the recent improvements in the Computer Human
Interfaces field, it is possible to overstep the gap between the high level of
interaction in acoustic instruments and the limited interaction (mouse,
alphanumeric keyboard, joysticks) in the digital domain. The main path to
achieve this will be a study of the musicians gestures. According to our
opinion the conceptual and technological tools of the Electroacoustic Music - a
truly new musical language based on the idea “to compose THE sounds, not only
WITH the sounds” – are fit for creating a contiguity and a linguistic
penetration to let ideas and new experiences spring.

____________________

As GEO IP
represents a stimulating and innovative multidisciplinary learning environment
not represented in any curriculum, beneficiaries of the project are student
coming from different levels (first cycle BA and second cycle MA) and different
disciplines such as Electroacoustic Music, Traditional Folk Music, Composition,
Performing Arts. Each partner will provide its own selection on the students
according the following indicators: owning the basic prerequisites (software
programming skill for musical performance with digital tools, performing skill,
basic composition skill), curriculum studiorum (marks level,n° of acquired
ECTS), good English language knowledge, IP relevance within the student’s
course of study.

____________________

During the IP the
many practical activities and tasks will give a chance to verify any
improvement. The last days, the teachers will setup two different kind of test:
a practical one and a presentation report to assess whether students have
achieved the intended learning outcomes of the IP. The GEO IP is an 88 hours
full-time study program and students participating to the IP will be awarded 3
ECTS. The IP coordinator will draw up for each participant a learning agreement
with the description of activities, teaching methodology, evaluation monitoring,
work program, awarded ECTS. The learning agreement will be subscribed by the
student, her/his Erasmus Coordinator and her/his legal representative before
the beginning of the IP. During the IP the Erasmus referent of the IP
coordinator will check the students attendance, testified by her/his signature
over the IP presence book. At the end of the work program, on the basis of the
learning results, the IP coordinator will draw up a transcript of records with
the results achieved by the student and the awarded ECTS. The transcript of
records, signed by the legal representative of the IP coordinator, will be sent
to the student’s HEI participating in the IP in order to formally award the
ECTS.

26 Nisan 2010 Pazartesi

Bilgi University Laptop Orchestra (IBULOrk), is an computer-based ensemble with 7 musical instruments each consisting of a laptop computer and interfacing equipments. Founded in the spring of 2009, IBULOrk is the first laptop ensemble of Turkey.

Each instrument consists of a laptop computer and a variety of control devices (keyboards, knob/slider controllers, midi-controlers, sensors, and others), and the software Max/MSP. By placing the sensors such as accelerometers, light sensors, etc. into the performance area, the audience will be in a specific interaction with the performance. By processing the sounds collected from Istanbul's acoustic ecology, IBULOrk is in constant migration among universal textures without being assimilated.

The audience and the students who perform in this ensemble act as both performers and composers. This is a performance to create, explore, learn and experiment which assures its fluidity and uniqueness.